Category: Soups

By Worker Bee

Rogan Josh is lamb stew with an unusual but memorable name. It’s a meal that fills your house with the comforting aroma of spices and slow cooked meat. Luckily, in this quick and easy (and dairy-free) version of Rogan Josh, “slow” only means an hour, so you won’t be tortured by the mouth-watering aroma for long.

Rogan Josh is a popular Kashmiri dish traditionally made with lamb, yogurt, loads of hot Kashmiri chiles and other spices. This simplified version uses fire-roasted tomatoes and curry powder for heat and flavor. Creamy coconut milk easily takes the place of yogurt, coating the tender lamb in a rich, creamy sauce.

If you find the flavor of kimchi to be overwhelming when eaten straight, fear not, it mellows when simmered in soup. A little bit, anyway. It still has a spicy, garlicky kick but in a less aggressive way.

By Worker Bee

Meals like this oven-baked chowder are exactly the type of recipes that instantly become keepers. Why? The chowder is deeply flavorful and the fish and veggies cook perfectly every time, with little assistance from you. Plus, it’s a one-pot meal that serves up both protein and veggies and leaves behind only a few dirty dishes.

Change the recipe up seasonally with different vegetables, or stick with this tried and true combination of parsnips, carrots and bell pepper. Using different types of fish is an option, too; sea bass and halibut are always delicious, and wild salmon, of course, is never a bad choice for its abundant omega-3s.

Is this traditional chowder? No, but it’s just as good (or maybe even better).

By Worker Bee

Hot and sour soup, with its bracing spicy and sour flavor, tastes intuitively like food that will give your immune system a boost. At the very least, it’ll warm your belly and provide a satisfying meal, and with this recipe, no take-out menu is needed.

You can choose to seek out authentic ingredients (like lily buds and cloud ear fungus) or simply go with dried shiitake mushrooms. Likewise, ingredients like soy sauce, sugar and red rice vinegar can be replaced with coconut aminos and plain rice vinegar. This recipe also nixes tofu and cornstarch, resulting in a soup that isn’t traditional but delicious nonetheless.

By Mark Sisson

Ramen is Japanese soup made from pork broth, roasted pork, boiled noodles, and various toppings like vegetables, seaweed and egg. For many, the noodles are the main ingredient that the dish revolves around. But Primal ramen puts all the attention on the pork. Slow roasted pork, smoked pork shanks and bacon all play a role in making ramen that’s deeply flavorful and satisfying, even without noodles.

If you’ve traveled to Japan, then you’re familiar with the ubiquitous ramen shop serving steaming bowls of ramen that reflect the shop’s own distinctive style. If you were ever a hungry teenager or college student, then you’re definitely familiar with instant Top Ramen. This recipe is a far cry from instant ramen and not as labor intensive as ramen made in restaurants. It does take a little time to make (most of it hands-off) but suddenly all the ingredients come together. You’re rewarded with delicious steaming broth, tender slices of pork, vibrant collard greens and garnishes of egg, scallions and nori.

By Worker Bee

A warm bowl of chicken soup is thought to cure whatever ails you, in body and spirit. Add fresh ginger root and a kombu leaf to the pot, and the soup is even more nourishing.

Ginger warms the body, potentially giving your immune system a kick-start during cold and flu season. It also has a tradition of calming gastrointestinal distress. While ginger lets itself be known in this soup with its subtle but spicy flavor, kombu is a stealth ingredient. This dried sea vegetable enhances the flavor of broth and leaves behind a wealth of minerals without adding a “seaweedy” flavor.